Reverse-winder for films.



' P. J. PROKOP.

REVERSE WINDER FORHLMS.

' APPLICATION FILED APR.20.1918.

. Patented No v. 19, 1918-.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

lNl/E/l/TOR. Prokap J, Prakap A TTOR/VEYS P. J. PROKOP. REVERSE WINDERFOR FILMS; APPLICATION FILEti APR. 20. 1918..

Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

2 S'HEETSVSHEET 2.

"I F T fllw' I ,i 2/ iiiii I I I 26 WITNESSES 5 -uvmvr0n J v 25 lUk-OPkJP/O}op I '7' v BY 1}; ATTORNEYS reference characters designatethe same parts "raoxor a, PnoKononnEw-xonx, N. Y.

nnvEnsE-wmpnia EOR Firms.

To all whom it may concern. Be it known that I, PROKOP J. PROKOP, asubject of the Kingof Bohemia, but having renounced such allegiance anddeclared my intention to become acitizen of the United States, and aresident of the city of New- Yorkyborough. of Manhattan, in the countyof New York and State of New York, have invented a new and-ImprovedReverse- Winder for Films, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

This'invention relates to moving picture apparatus or otherdevices inwhich there is a film or the like to be wound and rewound,

and constitutes an improvement upon the I kinetoscope film magazinecovered by Letters Patent of the United States,'No. 1,188,990, issued tome on the 27th day-of June, 191.6.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a winding apparatus inthe nature. of a receiver into which the film from a pro-' 'jectingapparatus is conveyed and wound in such a manner that the advancing orfirst 1 picture end of the film will lie on the outside of the rollready to be delivered immediately through the projecting apparatus for asubsequent run. of the picture without rewinding as. is the usualpractice.

'Another'object of theinvention is to provide a device of the characterindicated having improved tension facilities to con .rol the speed ofrotation of the winding devicesp A further object of theinvention is toprovideanimproved means for attaching the leading end of the film toinitiate the delivery'thereof into-the rewinder casing.

With the foregoing; and other objects in view the invention consists inthe arrangement and combinationof parts hereinafter described andclaimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact detailsof construction disclosed or suggested herein,

still for thepurpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereofreference is bad to the accompanying drawings, 1n whichllke inv theseveral views, and in which-;

Figural-is a vertical sectional view. of the casing "showing theprincipal parts'of the winding devices in side elevation.

Fi 2 is'a-horizontal section of'the casing on t 'e line 2-2 of Fig. 1,indicating the princip'alparts of the winding devices in plan view.

specification of semi-armat- Patented Nov. as, 1918.

Application filed Ami 120, 1913; Serial no. 229,790.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional'view on the l 1ne 33 of Fig. 1; and

Fig; 41s a detail plan View of the attach- }ment means for the leadingend of the film.

Referring now more particularly to the draW1'ngs,-I show at 10 astationary casing of any suitable construction or design and having aremovable side portion llto give ready access to the lnterior thereof orto remove the roll'of film'therefrom. This casing 1s provlded with aninlet slot or opening 12 at its top through which the film 13 is,delivered between any suitable anti-friction rollers 14, as fromthemoving picture proectingapparatus. (not shown). The. rear portion of thecasing is provided with a hollow hub 15 at its center in which isjournaled 'the sleeve 16 to the inner end-of which within the casing issecured a rotary film carrier shown in the form of a disk 17 adapted tobe rotated by any suitable means acting through the sleeve 16 from asource'of power not in-' dicated but understood to be operated at aproper axial speed to conform to the speed ing machine. v

The'length of the hub 19 approximates twice the width of the film 13 andcorre- 'sponds substantially tothe width or depth of the casing. v

Secured to the hub 19"and supported therebyin stationar 'yl position aretwo sets of spokes or'ai ms 21" and22 arranged in pairs. The-huh' ltli-is fixed; upon a spindle 20 held stationary centering member 18. The

arms 21 aresli'ewnas formed of flat metal and all lyinglin' the sameplane adjacent to the disk or-;carrier.17.- IThese arms are all ofmovement of the film within the projectshown as arranged radiallyiwithrespect to the axis of the entire device and equally spacedcircumferentially. The arms 22, however,instead of being arranged in thesame plane extend-outward from the front half of the hub 19: in a spiralseries. In

. other words the first arm 22' of the series extends radially from thefront end of the-hub 19 as, shown at the lower portion of Fig. 2, thenext arm extends similarly from the hub but from a point slightly nearerto the center of the ca'smg and so onaround' to the last arm 22 of theseries which is indicated at the "center'of Fig. 2 at or near the centerof the length of the hub.-- It will be noted that for each-of the arms21 there is an arm 22 parallel thereto, but because of the spiralarrangement of the arms 22 the pairs of arms 21 and 22 are variouslyspaced.

For each pair of arms just described there are slides 23 and 24respectively, the same being movable radially inward and outward towardand from the hub 19, the spindle 25 extending between and having itsends secured in the two slides 23 and 24. The front end of each Spindleprojects through a slot 26 formed in the rear wall of an arm 22, and tothis inwardly projectingend of the spindle 25 is secured a flexiblemember such a cord or chain 27. Upon each of the spindles 25 are freelyjournaled a seriesof rollers 2S and 29 the latter constituting spacersbetween pairs of rollers 28. the right side of Fig. 2 and the lowerportion of Fig. 3 a portion of the spindles 25 constituting the longerspindles or those spanning the wider spaces between pairs of arms andover which the film is first drawn, are provided with additional rollers28 of gradually increasing diameter beginning with the first arm 22 aswill be best noted from Fig. 3.

Between each arm 21 and the next of the same series are arrangedarticulated link members 30 and likewise between each arm 22 and thenext are arranged links 31. Certain of these links are pivoted upon thespindles 25 and 25 and the other ends of the same links are simplypivoted at 32 to' other links of the sameseries. It will be noted thatcertain of the links are provided with stop means such as pins 30whereby the outward movement of the spindles and rollers betweenadjacent pairs of arms is limited; Dotted lines in Fi 1 indicate. howthese several links are adapted to collapse so as'to reduce theeffective diameter of the entire system of rollers. while the slidesmove inward radially along the pairs of arms.

The inner face. of each arm 22 lies in a plane corresponding to thegeneral spirality of the series of arms 22 or in other words lies in aplane at an oblique angle to the axis of the hub 19. This fact isclearest. shown in Fig. 4. I

The inlet slot or opening 12 of the casing is arrangednear the frontside thereof whereby the film entering the casing is guided along oneside of the main or previ ously admitted portion of the film and towardthe center thereof instead of rolling it upon the outside of the roll.The rotatable disk 17 carries a holder indicated as a whole at 33 forthe advancing end of the film. This holder comprises a pair ofstationary members 34 and 35 spaced from each other to form a diagonalslot 36 for a slide 37. See Fig. 4. The'slide is provided with,

a transverse slot. 37 through which the end 13 ofthe film is projectedoutwardly and hooked over a pin 38 carried by the slide 37. A keeper 39is pivoted at 40 upon the outer As indicated in.

face of the slide 37 and is swung around so as to lie over the end ofthe film adjacent to the pin 38 whereby the end is held from slippingofi of the pin. The slide 37 is adapted to move rearward and inwardalong the diagonal slot 36 due to the combined effect of the slight.pull of the film thereon, but more particularly because of the outermostpoint or corner 37 thereof wiping against the oblique inner faces of theslides 24 while the disk 17 and film holder carried thereby are makingthe first half rotation.

In other words with the film attachedas within the first end or coilthereof, the film being directed as above described toward the center ofthe roll from the side of the roll and through the slot or mouth 12 ofthe casing. Since the depth or thickness of the roll increases inwardtoward the center of the hub as indicated in Fig. .1 the rollers 28'bearing against the inner face thereof will be forced inward along thearms 21 and '22 toward the position shown in Fig. 1 in dotted lines.This movement of the rollers 28 and the spindles 25 upon which they arejournaled causes the flexible members 27 to roll over rollers or wheels'41 journaled in the outer ends of the hollow arms 22. The inner ends ofeach flexible connection 27 are guided over a roller 43 near the innerend of each arm 22 and after crossing each other are connected onopposite sides of a drum 44 journaled for relatively free rotationwithin the'hollow hub 19. Hence while one end of each connection tendsto rotate the drum 44.. such rotation causes the winding thereof of theother end of the same connection. The front end of the drum is shownprovided with a 45 with which there meshes a. pinion -46 projectingthrou h the stationary hollow hub 19 and with which an adjustable screw47 cooperates to vary the tension upon the pinion 46 and whereby thespeed or rotation of the drum 44 may be regulated.

After the film is rolled as just described Within the casing and withits last picture end guided into the-interior of the roll the casingwill be opened and the roil removed therefrom ready for a subsequentprojection without rewinding. The handling of an open roll of film isinadvisable. Hence lf intend to remove t film from the while supportedupon the rollers the separaable fromthe centering member 18. Toreturn-the several spindles 25 and the slides 23 and 24 and rollersassociated therewith outward to the ends of the arms again a key 48 orits equivalent is inserted "into the front end -of the drum 4A andwhenthe drum is thusgiven a few rotations the flexible connections 27 actingin the opposite direction from that in which they are wound upon thedrum will carry. the rollers and slides out- Ward. 4 i

I claim: y

1. In a stationary reverse film winder, the combination of a casinghaving an inlet slot adjacent to the front portion thereof, a filmcarrier journaled for rotation within and adjacent to the rear portionof the casing, means to attach thefirst picture end of the 'film to thecarrier, a curved-series of antifriction guiding means to receive thefilm entering the slot and causing the same to be rolled within thepreviously admitted portion of the film adjacent to the disk, and

non-rotary supports for the guiding means.

'2. In a reverse film winder, the combination of a series of radiallydisposed arms lying in the same plane, a series of spirally arrangedarms parallel respectively to the aforesaid arms, means to hold thepairs of arms stationary, anti-friction guiding means,

means to support the antifriction guiding means for radial slidingmovement along the several pairs of arms, and means to carry theadvancing end of the film around and over the anti-friction meanswhereby the succeeding portions of the film are guided and rolled Withinthe previously wound portion thereof I I 3. In a reverse film winder,the combination of a stationary hub, pairs of radial arms securedthereto, the arms of each pair being parallel to each other but havingdifferent spaces between them, a pair of slides mov- Table radiallyinward and outward along each pair of arms, a plurality of anti-frictiondevices carried by each pair of slides, a carrier for the incomingportion of the film whereby said portion is caused to be carried androlled within the previously wound portion thereof over saidanti-friction devices, and means cooperating with said slides to controlthe rate of movement th'ereof along the arms. 4. In a reverse filmwinder, the combination of a stationary support, a hollow hub securedthereto, radially arranged pairs of parallel arms fixed to the hollowhub, the distance between certain of the arms being different from thatof other arms, anti-friction guiding meanssupported to slide radiallyalong the severalpai-rs of arms, a carrier for the film whereby theincoming portion of the film is caused to move and roll within thepreviously wound portion thereof over said guiding means, and meansacting -within said hollow hub to control the radial movementofsaidslides and guiding means along the arms.

5.'In a reverse film winder, the combination of a rotatable carrier,laterally projecting rigid means secured thereto constituting a guide,and a holder for the first picture end of a film movable along saidguide, said holder having means to lock thereto the end of the film.

-6. In a reverse'film winder, the combination of a rotatable carrierhaving laterally projecting parallelrigid members forming a guideway, aslide movable along said guideway toward the carrier, and means to lockthe first picture end of a film to said slide.

7. In a reverse film winder, the combination of a rotatable disk, meansprojecting laterally therefrom forming a diagonal guideway, a slidemounted in said guideway, means to lock the first picture end of a filmto the slide, and stationary guiding means cooperatingdirectly with saidslide to cause the movement thereof toward the plane of the disk.

PROKOP J. PBOKOP.

